SEO is Dead in 2025, Says Marketers

What a catchy hook, albeit click-bait hook, for capturing the attention and causing CEOs and CMOs to be overwhelmed. Let me tell you the truth, what should cause concern, and what opportunities are becoming available for your bottom line.

Unlike paid ads that stop working the moment you stop paying the premium, SEO delivers compounding returns (the sweet spot being around year 3).

With AI everywhere, it makes sense to be concerned that SEO no longer works.

Recently, Newfangled (a digital marketing company) published a thought-provoking blog declaring that “SEO is dead”—at least for those just getting started. They are not the only marketing company leaning into phrases like this to capture reader attention, spark debate, and create engagement for their online presence. It's a marketing tactic. It's Marketing 101.

Newfangled argued that SEO is dead because there are longer timelines for results, the explosion of AI-generated content is pervasive, and by the way, if you do not hire them- you will experience diminishing returns- especially if your business website is new.

In some ways, they’re right: SEO isn’t what it used to be.

But does that mean SEO is dead? No, not at all.

What Newfangled Got Right About SEO

Newfangled makes several valid points about the SEO landscape in 2025:

1. Longer SEO Timelines:

Yes, SEO requires patience. Unlike paid ads, which can produce immediate results, albeit these results have higher costs per client acquisition. SEO has nearly always been a long-term investment to turn websites into lead generation machines. Here's the thing though- this is not new and the ROI is unparalleled.

2. AI’s Impact on Website Traffic:

With AI-powered search engine responses (SGE) and AI tools citing their sources and creating zero-click searches, it is unlikely your website will not receive traffic that comes from the information gathering phase of the buying journey.

At WSI- we argue AI's impact on SEO is a good thing.

Digital marketing companies can no longer rest on the laurels of vanity metrics- like visitors simply gathering information- and instead must work with their clients to tie the higher search intent traffic back to revenue and identify areas to double down on, or even forego.

3. The AI-Generated Content Explosion:

The sheer volume of online articles written with the help of AI has made it harder to stand out, especially for businesses starting fresh without much published content. While the AI dynamic is new, SEO is very much unchanged.

The same can be said for SEO before AI became a talking point for marketers and businesses who care about getting found without having to run ads. This was the reality for business websites before large language AI models came onto the scene.

Instead of saying, "The sheer volume of online content, powered by AI, has made it harder to stand out, especially for businesses starting fresh without a history of publishing," the online landscape could have been summed up like this, "The sheer volume of businesses online has made it harder to stand out, especially for new businesses entering the market in 2020-whatever."

SEO Is Evolved, Not Dead

Search engines know that they must continually improve how they provide information. There are a near-infinite amount of websites and competitors for any organization in any industry.

Because of this, search engines evolve to keep the buyer's journey squarely with their platforms. ChatGPT is simply becoming another search engine, which works in your favor.

Why Search Engines Desperately Want to Stay in the Buyer's Journey

Money.

97% of business transactions begin with search engines. This reality makes it very compelling for advertisers to purchase space at the very top of search engine results pages, to capitalize on the high conversion rate that comes with being at the forefront.

As of January, 2025, I am going on the record to say, I predict AI tools will start selling advertising space in the very near future.

AI Tools and the Search Generative Experience: Allies for Business

Yep- AI-powered snippets and chat tools reduce website visits. But they also improve the visibility of your business when you align your website with AI’s priorities- clear, useful, informative, engaging information.

By the time visitors finally go to a business website, they are approaching the end of their buying decision (mid-to-bottom funnel intent) and arrive with higher intent to spend money.

Today’s SEO traffic isn’t just traffic for the sake of visibility—it’s higher quality leads.

SEO+AI=Unparalleled Brand Visibility

As a rule to the science of SEO, SEO ensures your business shows up repeatedly across the entire customer journey. From answering top-of-funnel questions to appearing in mid-funnel comparisons, SEO builds trust and keeps you visible.

Where does AI get its information?

Websites.

Your website and your competitors' websites, to be precise. Now you have new channels for showing up in the research phase of your clients' buying journey, introducing yourself as a trustworthy industry expert.

Expanding the scope and prominence of your online presence is SEO.

AI is improving your company's online presence.

SEO Has Always Taken Time, and It is Always Worth It, Even in 2025

SEO has never been quick fix to revenue generation- no matter what those advertisements tell you.

It takes time to build authority in the way that search engines and AI tools measure it; it takes time to improve rankings, beat your competitors in organic visibility, and generate organic leads.

The SEO rewards are worth it.

SEO is Extremely Important Because of AI

From curiosity, to research, to awareness to decision, SEO would position your business as the trusted choice at every stage.

With AI pulling its information from websites like yours, you have many more opportunities to show up at every stage of the journey- just on different platforms.

The only thing that has been reduced is the website traffic from people who are simply at the top of the sales funnel.

That's fine. They were not ready to buy, anyway.

When they are ready, they find your website if you have invested in SEO.

With AI, you are not missing out on Transactional and Commercial Search Intent visitors. Those are the ones that really matter. You are losing traffic from visitors who simply wanted more information to deliberate on.

SEO Has Always Taken Time, and It is Always Worth It, Even in 2025

At WSI, we’re transparent with our clients: SEO has never been a quick fix. It takes time to build authority in the way that search engines and AI tools measure it; it takes time to improve rankings, beat your competitors in organic visibility, and generate organic leads.

SEO ROI is Significant

Unlike paid ads that stop working the moment you stop spending, or turn off on your busiest days when people need you the most (because you ran out of daily budget)-

SEO delivers compounded returns, year over year. Year 1 is pretty boring though, not going to lie.

Businesses earn an average of hundreds to thousands of percent returns over a three year period.

These stats are some of the highest returns on digital marketing spend.

From curiosity, to research, to awareness to decision, SEO positions your business as the trusted choice at every stage. With AI pulling its information from websites like yours, you have many more opportunities to show up at every stage of the journey.

With SEO, you are not missing out on Transactional and Commercial Search Intent visitors. Those are the ones that really matter.

Businesses Can Thrive with AI and SEO in 2025

Newfangled’s article raises important points about the changing nature of SEO, and we agree: it’s not the same as it was 10 years ago. Here's the thing, the very nature and methodologies of SEO change regularly by design.

Why?

Because search engines must continually work to be better, provide better information, and keep people using them. When they do this, not only do they keep you happy, but more importantly, they keep their place as a preferred location from advertisers to purchase space.

The changing SEO and AI landscape is a routine evolution. The key is embracing these changes and adapting.

This dynamic has always been the case with SEO as more and more websites come online and more and more people enter your target audience demographics.